III Nocturnal State
by Kyeian
Summary: COMPLETE. Why am I alone? I don't want to be alone! Where are they? Where did they go? Part three of the Escape Series.
1. Hollow Dark

**Hollow Dark**

It…was a little cold…

_One two three, one two three, one two three, one two three_…

Everything was dancing, though. Everyone was moving in time like a waltz… They all moved with studious motions to keep in line of the dance….

"Quatre?"

I looked to Heero curiously as the cold rain soaked my skin. He was standing up the hallway from me with that smile that no one else ever seemed to see.

Was he going to ask me to dance?

"Come on, it's time to eat," he muttered, pulling at my arm, though I didn't really…_feel_ it…if that made sense.

That was as close to a request as he'd ever get. I laughed happily, moving to waltz with him in time…the music wasn't nearly loud enough, but that was fine. It was fine enough to dance alone…

I grinned slightly and moved toward the dining area, noting that Trowa was writing something on a note-book and Wufei had his laptop.

The wind was kinda cold…where was my coat?

"You mean Natalie singing?" Heero asked, moving into the room.

I looked from Wufei to him with a grin. "Damn song bird."

He gave me a look, then Wufei one.

It _was_ Wufei's term for her, after all. Fei looked from me to him curiously. "What about the songbird?"

"Quatre said something about dancing…only music I can hear is Natalie."

"Maybe it's the rain," I hazarded, looking up the street as I turned into an alley.

"Or maybe you're nucking futz," Trowa retorted.

"What?" I asked blankly, stopping to press my hand against a wall.

I wasn't really crazy, was I? Wufei said I was…

"Trowa," Heero muttered in reprimand, dragging my attention back to them as he rolled his eyes. "Sit down, Quatre. Eat something."

_I'm hungry_… I concentrated on my stomach as shivers swept through me. The alley was dark…it'd been okay in the day, but it was _really_ getting cold now…where was Trowa?

_Why am I alone?_

I started walking again, realizing that I shouldn't stop moving.

I liked the rain…it sounded like home…even in the cold. Trowa said Duo was here. He dealt with the cold, so I could do it, too. I missed Duo. He hadn't acted normal in a long time, though. I missed _that_ Duo…the one who always had a grin and waltzed into every room as if he owned it. He'd run away from us…but I missed him.

Everything had been wrong after the war. The only thing that had been remotely right had been the computers so we could stay in touch…so we knew where we were…but Duo hadn't taken his. Duo hadn't taken that machine that I'd given him.

Maybe Duo didn't like me.

I sighed, looking around as I tried to remember where I was going and what I was supposed to be doing. The alley was long and dark, and I couldn't feel any weapons on me, which was kinda freaky, but I was near the end of the thing now.

But where was I going? Was I going back to the hotel? Heero'd told me I should, but I didn't want to. Was I looking for Duo? I couldn't really remember.

It was really all Heero's fault that Duo'd disappeared on us. Duo didn't like Heero anymore. Heero had been mean to him…abusive. Trowa hadn't helped at all, but Trowa was mean to everyone. And Wufei? I liked Wufei.

The music caught my attention again, and I listened to it as I wandered up the alley and onto a street with a long line of people. Lots of them were looking at me with frowns…and then someone was moving from the line.

"Eh, blondie?"

I focused on him, assessing the level of threat he presented.

"You deaf?" he asked, moving closer to study my eyes. "You hear me?"

"I can hear," I muttered, wanting to back off uncomfortably.

Why was I alone?

"Why you out here in the rain, huh? Where's your jacket?"

"I…left it in the hotel," I noted, looking around again as I crossed my arms.

"You should go get it," he noted.

I nodded.

His eyes were nice. The way he was looking at me was nice. Even when he rolled his eyes it was nice, the good-person sort of nice…and he pulled off the jacket he was wearing and offered it to me. "You need it more than me, huh?"

I took the thing from him, pulling it on…it was warm.

"Rick!" a female whined from the line. "Come on, already!"

Rick winked at me, turning and darting to the guy who was studying me over and taking money.

I smiled slightly at him, and then looked to Rick. "Thanks."

"No problem, good deeds breed like rats!" he and the woman disappeared laughingly into the building.

Rats were gross…we'd had rats in our house once and my sisters had absolutely lost their minds over it with disgust.

I turned to start walking again.

"You okay, blondie?" someone else asked. "You look a little sketchy. You need a cab?"

I blinked at him a second and shook my head, starting to walk faster. The noise of the music started fading behind me, and I wondered briefly if I was hot. I couldn't really tell, because back home the air was warm all the time, so feeling the rain and the warm…I shivered again.

The line of people was long gone, and there wasn't any music left. I smiled slightly at a blond standing not far away, and he smiled very slightly back at me. This meant something, but I wasn't sure what as I looked around and he looked away—I could see him out of the corner of my eyes.

I heard a rig and darted behind the building with my heart slamming in my chest. If they _found_ me _without_ Sandrock I was toast…I was toast on a stick…a very _painful_ stick…and loud. Their MS were coming closer, and I needed to _find_ my damn gundam.

Where was it? Where had I left Sandrock?

How the _fuck_ did you lose something with a fifty foot _head_?

I ran down the darkened alley, hoping the damn mechs didn't have headlights that could get all corners. It was cold enough in the rain that a heat sensor might take a few minutes to see me, and maybe before it could scan I'd be safe.

Maybe pigs would fly, while we were at it.

My foot slid out on something wet, and my stomach twisted as I fell and pain blossomed across my hands and through my wrists.

I had to get back before Duo disappeared! I had to get back to them…

Light flashed above me, and I darted into an alcove…I'd broken my wrist, hadn't I? Damn it…where was a medic?

The roll of thunder across the sky was so _loud_ and **_so_** present that I whimpered as I stared at the clouds overhead…and then I heard it.

It was a consistent thudding from the building whose door I was hiding in, thudding like foot-steps.

I darted from my hiding spot…and ran.

x x x

"When he left was he alone?" Trowa demanded of the woman behind the counter, pointing at Heero. "Did someone follow him out?"

She shook her head as she thought. "No one…left for a good ten minutes."

"Was it Mr. Winner?" Trowa demanded.

"No…it was a man checking out," she replied, frowning more. She could sense the urgency, and wondered if there were any more problems she could cause. She'd told these people that Chang was in the building when he hadn't wanted her to, so she was very nervous about giving them _any_ information.

"Have you _seen_ Mr. Winner?" Wufei demanded irritably.

Duo'd decided to head home, seeing as his wife was with their two children and probably fairly pissed at him on _top_ of the fact that he…wasn't comfortable with any other pilot than Wufei.

"No…I haven't," she noted, tilting her head. "Is there a problem?"

"You think? Fuckin' genius," Trowa said the first to her and the second to Wufei as he turned and stormed up the employeeonly hallway behind the desk.

"Sir! You can't go back there…please…"

Wufei, who'd followed, turned to display his badge to her. Even if she had no idea what the thing was for, badges meant authority, and she wouldn't be held accountable for them doing anything once they started flashing them.

She frowned, watching them go.

"I need to see when Mr. Winner was last on camera," Trowa informed the security guard who'd stood. The other man was halfway to his feet.

"Mr. Winner?" they asked blankly.

"Blond guy from our party," Wufei agreed. "It's been a few hours since we've seen him…he has mild schizophrenia and we need to keep an eye on him."

"Then why did you let him leave?" the man sitting asked, giving them all disbelieving looks.

"I didn't let him!" Heero shouted, obviously somewhat distraught as he started forward.

It really wasn't his day.

"You need to calm down," Wufei noted, turning to intercept him and backing him to the wall. "This isn't your fault, this isn't anyone's fault…we just need to _find_ him. He usually _chooses_ to stay with us, so it's not like you would have known he was going to do this…so just calm down."

The guards were frowning at the three of them—notably at the various bruises and abrasions on Heero's face as a result of his and Duo's face-off.

Heero nodded, looking down and away.

"He followed him out of our room," Trowa noted, pointing at Heero again. "And we assumed he'd gone _with_ him. He didn't, and we don't know which way he left, so cue up the recordings…"

The guards looked at each other, and the one sitting down shrugged slightly. "Well…he didn't leave out the front doors."

"What?" Trowa demanded, focusing on him. "Just…"

"He took the fire escape on your floor," the one standing noted with a shrug. "We get alerts when those doors are opened," he pointed at a wall of screens. "He took off out it, we just figured he was being an ass."

"What way did he go?" Trowa's tone had went dangerous.

"I couldn't tell you, sir," the man replied, indicating the screens again. "As soon as the doors close, we see nothing."

Trowa looked to Heero and Wufei in alarm.

"The exit he took led to the street, so it's not likely that he injured himself there…but we don't know where…we don't have cameras on that side all day."

"Great, time to go primal and track," Wufei muttered dryly, looking to Heero again. "You in control of yourself? Or should I go get you a sword to commit honorable seppuku?"

Heero glared at him…and stormed from the room.

Trowa punched Wufei in the arm, and followed the Japanese man out.

--

E/N: Here we are, part three...I'm not sure how long it'll take me to write this one, so it won't update like Mirror Maze did. Reviews are apprecaited. Ja, matta.


	2. Fall to Pieces

**Fall to Pieces**

I curled into my corner and cried as I shivered. Duo was _gone_…he'd left me with no more hesitation than…than…he just _left_. He was gone, just like my sister…just like my dad…just like all those people I'd cared for before. I'd made _one_ wrong choice and…they were all _gone_…

If only I could go back in time…

"Hey, buddy? You all right?"

The voice snapped my attention toward the end of the alley I was in, and I studied the unfamiliar face uncertainly as I pushed up to my feet again.

"You okay?" the guy asked, moving forward slowly. "You need help?"

"Yeah," I muttered, wiping at my eyes as I realized the rain made it a pointless act. "Yeah…um…can you tell me how to get to…to the Lexington?"

"Lexington? Hotel?" he asked.

I nodded, moving toward him slowly.

"It's over on Thurman and Hines, right?"

"I'm not sure," I returned, pulling the jacket I had on closer to myself.

"Were you crying?"

"Not your business," I noted.

"You go this way," he muttered, stepping back to point up the alley. "It's…a ways off. You want a taxi?"

"No," I returned. "I'm having issues with my friends and…I just need to keep away from them for a while. I lost my way."

He nodded, pointing. "At that block, take a right. I suggest you stay on the main roads because these alleys are a maze if you start into them. Just go right, and the first light you take a left, and walk that way until you get to Minuet, go right down Minuet…it's a mile or three, not sure exactly. It'll be a walk."

I'd been out since before sunset, kinda made sense I was far beyond.

My jacket was soaking through…but it wasn't even _my_ jacket.

Where had it even come from?

"…you get to Hines then," the guy summed up. "It's a ways up there somewhere, you'll have to look around because I'm not familiar with that district…all right?"

Uh…

I nodded at him.

"You sure you don't want a taxi?" he pressed, frowning at me as he looked to the clouds. "It's awfully wet out here."

"I'll be…fine," I returned, looking the way he was pointing. "Um…thanks."

"I really think you should get a cab," he muttered, starting to walk with me. "You sure you got what I said?"

"My camera has film," I retorted.

"What?" he asked uncertainly.

"Joke about photographic memories," I retorted dryly. Wufei liked to say he wanted to run out of film some day just to see what he'd do…

"Oh," he laughed a somewhat token laugh.

"I really don't want company right now," I noted, meeting his eyes. "I'm in no mood."

"In all honesty I think you need medical attention," he retorted, stopping to cross his arms. "You're either high or something else."

I tsked at him in disgust. "I don't do drugs, thanks for the faith in me."

"Hey," he called.

I turned to look at him.

"Don't dog me for caring about my fellow man."

"I appreciate it," I returned wryly, then turned to start walking again with my hands in my pockets.

Why did my wrist hurt?

I pulled my arm out to rub at the thing as I turned right at the road.

x x x

"Yeah, hey," Bobbi muttered with his cell phone to his ear as he watched the guy walking around the corner. "I just wanted to let someone know that there's a guy heading over toward Minuet now…he looks a bit off."

"Off?" the operator asked.

"Yeah…high or something. He can't seem to stay focused. He asked me for directions to the Lexington Hotel…I gave them to him, but I don't know how far he'll follow them."

"Blond guy?" he asked.

"Yeah…about six foot…wearing a jacket."

"A jacket?" that sounded confused. "Well, we'll go check it out. Can you make sure he's going in that direction?"

"I'll see. He turned a few minutes ago, he should still be in sight." Bobbi moved up the alley, looking down the road when he reached it and stopping. "I…don't see him." He ran up the road to look at the cross-street, studying the distance as he wondered if maybe _he'd_ been seeing things.

"Sir?"

"I…there he is," Bobbi darted across the street to honking horns. "He's heading up the alley between Norfolk and Timbale…is someone looking for him? I can probably stop him until the authorities reach us."

"Yes, and no," the guy noted. "He's an ex-soldier with post-traumatic stress. Just leave the man alone. You've done your bit, I have officers heading to the location now."

"All right," Bobbi muttered, stopping and looking at the traffic that had picked up again. "I'll see if I can tail him."

"I'm going to have to ask you not to do that, sir," the man muttered. "He could be a possible threat to you if he thought you might be an enemy. He's a war veteran, and we'd rather not have someone getting hurt. Can I get your name?"

x x x

Lightning flashed and I looked up to the sky with that same sick sensation in my stomach.

"Quatre, please rethink this," Irania protested, moving to follow me. "What can you accomplish on your own? Why do you think they chose a mere _boy_ for this job?"

"I fit in the cockpit," I retorted in aggravation. "I've committed myself…I don't _care_ about the fortune."

The rain was so cold…

Another flash of lightning lit up my sister's somber expression, and when the light had gone I couldn't _see_ her anymore.

I stopped, looking around.

I was alone in the alley.

The eerie sensation of being watched intensified, and I picked up my pace.

"Quatre, please, rethink this," Irania insisted, following me. "What can you accomplish on your own? Why do you think…"

I looked around to glare at her, then noticed a car at the end of the alley, turning in slowly.

They'd found me.

I broke into an instant run, launching from ground level to a fire-escape above my head. They might have mechs, but with the damned cars they were no match for a man on foot.

"Wait!" someone shouted.

My ass.

I launched myself across the alley to the far side, landing loudly on _that_ fire escape before scrambling over the top of that building.

"Damn," someone muttered in amazement. "Who said white boys can't jump?"

That should have been funny, right?

I ran across the roof, spotting a ledge of the far side that would keep me more or less out of sight from any hovering mechs, and ran at that, jumping parkour style toward the thing.

Running around with Trowa had some very serious benefits.

I didn't have enough room for a proper landing, but I didn't really need more space as I wound my way very carefully along the ledge, wondering what the people inside those apartments would think if they noticed me.

I didn't _want_ them to catch me, though…I just had to find Sandrock.

At the end of my little ledge was a much thinner ledge that led to more fire escapes, the only issue was that moss had grown on that edge, and there was a very real chance I could fall four stories. I wasn't sure anymore if four stories was a lethal height or not, but no matter if it was fatal or not, it'd hurt like _hell_ if I fell…but I absolutely _had_ to get out of the open.

I started along the ledge.

x x x

"Someone called in a report," Trowa muttered as he caught up with Heero and Wufei again as they started past the end of an alley. "Said he was in some alleys over there," the man pointed toward their right. "He picked up a jacket somewhere…and they're sure it's him because he jumped to one of those," he pointed at one of the fire escapes that was higher up than most normal people could jump.

"Second guessing teaching him your tricks yet?" Wufei asked wryly.

"You're so clever," Trowa retorted irritably.

"Don't even start," Heero cut them off in his monotone. "Why aren't we in a car?"

"Because Quatre is a pilot," Wufei explained sweetly, looking to him. "Quatre was trained excessively with his body. I seem to recall a story of _you_ using a horse to jump to a third story office…and if you think he can't do that same sort of shit you're sadly mistaken."

"Cars move faster," Heero retorted. "We could drive around and look for him, and have somewhere to put him when we pick him up."

"Or we could find him with a car and have to ditch it because…oh, wait, he's already _gone_ to the rooftops. Come on, Heero. Let's go get a helicopter."

Heero stopped, staring at Wufei in hurt disbelief. "What did I do?" he demanded.

Wufei reached over and touched one of the abrasions on his face, which made him flinch hard, then studied the fluid the wound had been weeping. Touching the thing transferred the liquid to his fingers. Wufei met Heero's eyes again as he rubbed the tips together to dispose of the wet, then turned away.

Heero's frustration with the entire situation ballooned in his chest. He didn't _understand_…he hadn't expected Duo to do _anything_…Duo'd had a life of luxury, and then he'd run away…and then everyone was attacking _him_…like Duo'd been the perfect angel.

"A little bitter, Wufei?" Trowa demanded.

"I would leave you both in a heartbeat," Wufei spat back viciously. "I'd let you both rot in Brazil and be done with you if I could do it."

"Because you're such a prize to deal with yourself," Trowa snapped back, then hesitated and looked back to Heero, stopping himself.

"Heero, come _on_!" Wufei's order was full of latent irritation and a sort of bitter anger that smacked obviously of controlling himself and his tone.

"You really hate me, don't you?" Heero whispered, staring at the Chinese man in disbelief.

"I hate that we lost Quatre," Wufei snarled, then looked to the road…and crossed the street.

Heero swallowed slightly as Trowa moved quickly to follow.

What had he done to deserve hell, really?

Did everyone hate him? Did Trowa really hate him? It was obvious that Duo did…

"Heero!" Trowa snapped.

Heero hurried to catch up.

- -

E/N: hehe, thanks for the review, Race. Mm, I'm not gonna vouch that I'll update every day, but I do have the next chapter written and I should put it up tomorrow (gotta reread it and all), and after that I couldn't say one way or the other...just for a heads up.


	3. Dusk of Illusion

**Dusk of Illusion**

I listened intently as the wind brushed through the trees, swallowing slightly. The flooding was going to come any day now, and I knew enough about that to know the only warning sign was a few inches of water…and that was about thirty seconds _before_ the rest of the water.

Why had Duo run? We _had_ to find him or we all might die…and Heero was insisting that we keep looking.

"Wufei?" I muttered.

The Chinese man didn't answer.

"Wufei?" I pressed, then slipped and fell, crying out as my wrist exploded with pain.

I'd fallen earlier. I needed to stop falling on the damn thing before I broke it for real.

I rolled onto my back, wrapping my free hand around the joint as I stared up at the dark buildings and the rain splattered all over my face. That man had told me to head to…what street? I hadn't heard all of his directions. I was cold, too…I needed to get back. They would all be worried about me now, but…

I blinked to my left, noting Irania watching me again. "What?" I muttered.

"I have to go," she muttered, starting away backwards. "I have to go now…but…Quatre, please…"

"What?" I demanded, sitting up as she hesitated in the door. There was a relentless wailing from the main of the building.

"Please," she repeated.

"Please what?" I persisted, crawling to my feet.

"Just…Quatre…please…"

I turned and ran as a car's lights blinded me, jumping for an escape ladder…but my wrist couldn't support me. I used my right hand to yank myself bodily up the ladder, because there was no way I was getting _caught_ like this…not in some damned alley. It was all I could do to climb the rest of the steps as people shouted at me to wait, that they were friends…ridiculous. What'd Oz think, I was stupid? Or maybe it was White Fang…who gave a shit. It wasn't one of the four other people I _knew_ I could trust, so I wasn't going to bother opening myself up to that kind of…let down.

"Mr. Winner!" one of them shouted. "Please, come down!"

I focused on him in horror.

If he knew my name, he knew my family.

"Please!" he protested, moving closer. "Just listen…we're here because of…"

"You touch my family and I'll kill you slowly," I informed him.

He stared at me in disbelief.

I climbed up the next ladder, noting that I couldn't hop to the other building. It was a bit further, and I didn't have both hands. That meant up the top of the one I was on, and a prayer that there was something on top that'd do me good.

"Did he just…say that?" the guy asked below me.

"War flash-backs," the other person hissed. "He thinks we're…shit."

Flash-backs?

I shook my head and darted onto the roof as lightning flashed and thunder rolled.

The storm had finally reached us…and I had no where left to hide.

It was time for me to run.

x x x

"They found him in an alley a few blocks off Minuet," Trowa muttered to his companions, running a hand down his face. "The guy got him to talk."

"That sounds dubious," Wufei noted, studying the other pilot as Heero studied the street.

"Quatre told him that if he touched his family…Quatre's family…that Quatre'd kill him slowly."

Wufei stared at the other pilot before running a hand down his face…and reaching for his cigarettes. He glanced up at the lighting dancing across the sky, and lit his cigarette as the thunder rolled.

"We need to head to Minuet," Heero muttered.

"And what are we doing? Strolling and enjoying the weather?" Wufei extended his free hand to catch the droplets as he exhaled.

Heero gave him a hurt look.

"Knock it off," Trowa snapped, hitting Wufei upside the head. He could tell Heero was having a hard time _without_ Wufei's help.

Wufei hit him in the stomach without so much as blinking, shoving the taller pilot off when he doubled over. "Don't _fucking_ hit me," Wufei snarled.

"Wufei, come on," Heero muttered, moving forward to separate the pair, but stopping before touching the Chinese man himself. He could tell that Wufei was about to start swinging, and was in no state to fight the man…he didn't feel all that _capable_ at the moment.

Lightning flashed across the sky again, and they all frowned up at the storm as the thunder shook the glass in the surrounding store-front windows.

"Let's just go," Wufei spat at them both as Heero focused on Trowa with concern.

"I'm fine," Trowa muttered, rubbing at the place of impact and taking a few deep breaths before starting to straighten. "We don't have time for this shit."

That had to be the stupidest and most obvious statement Trowa had ever made, and Wufei exhaled the smoke in his mouth in the man's face.

"God _damn_ it, Wufei!" Trowa snapped, trying to wave the air away.

Wufei grinned slightly, feeling somewhat better as he turned to start walking.

"You're an asshole," Trowa muttered irritably.

"And you're a cock-sucker," Wufei agreed. "What's your point?"

"Don't," Heero cut Trowa off firmly before he could rise to the bait.

Trowa gave the other pilot an irritated look before wiping the water off his face and glaring up at the clouds. "Why _London_?"

x x x

I gasped out in pain as I climbed carefully down the tree. My wrist was getting worse, and now had visible swelling. It probably didn't help that I'd taken a jump when I knew I shouldn't have, and I'd had to use both hands to keep myself from falling. That fall would have only been one story, but I hadn't realized it until my wrist had taken most of my weight.

Cities suck when you're caught and have to run. I much preferred a good forest with all sorts of trees and bushes and rocks to utilize. It'd seem like cars, trees, mailboxes, trashcans, and the like would be good hiding places, but more often then not, there was a reflective surface nearby to give away the position, or some way that your hiding spot was made obvious.

That car was getting closer again. I wasn't all that far away, after all.

I turned and ran again, wishing the lightning would stop flashing as I spotted another alley entrance. I took that, hearing some dog somewhere barking his warning to me. It didn't matter, even if the dumb creature were loose.

I disappeared into the black labyrinth.

x x x

Duo allowed Nassaiya to wipe carefully at a gash on his cheek, staring out at the storm. The boys were both in bed, and his wife hadn't said too much to him since he'd gotten home. He wasn't sure if this treatment would last or not, though. He knew she'd been raised in a more…feudal…system prior to their supposed marriage. He didn't know enough about her culture to know if it was one of the ones where women just submitted to their husbands or not, and that bothered him.

"Nas?"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning to gather up some salve.

"Should I apologize?"

"You already have."

"Are you mad at me?"

She turned to study his face a long moment, then sighed and shook her head. "No, Duo. I'm not…I'm upset, but not mad."

"I didn't mean for it to happen," he muttered, studying her eyes earnestly. "And we can stop hiding now."

"What will we tell the boys?" she snapped, gesturing toward the hall. "I had to tell them you were coming home late, and tomorrow they'll see all these cuts and things…what will we tell them?"

"I got into a fight," he muttered darkly, avoiding her eyes. "No lies."

"So they can start throwing punches…so _Vasu_ can start fighting in school?"

"Who said we'd make it that easy?" Duo demanded levelly. "I was in the hospital."

She tossed the salve container onto the counter and started to wipe it onto the wound.

"Why are you even bothering to do this if you're pissed?" Duo snapped, catching her wrist to meet her eyes.

"Because I want to," she retorted, yanking away slightly. "Don't be an ass."

"You don't _have_ to do this," he snapped, annoyed again at his lack of knowledge. He'd never got into the marriage action and reactions in her village.

"You want me to stop?" she snapped, pulling away.

"You don't have to submit to me," he snapped.

"And I wouldn't," she retorted, smacking his hands away. "You're hurt, and I want to help you get better…we weren't like that, Duo. Actually, since the women made the food, the men would submit to _them_, so stop trying dancing around it like that."

He grinned slightly.

"You're such a _boy_," she added irritably, turning to wash her hands. "You know that, don't you?"

"I'm _your_ boy," he retorted.

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm so blessed," she noted wryly.

He grinned at that, then sighed as another flash of lightning came.

"What?" she muttered.

"Quatre…disappeared," he explained. "Before Heero left the hotel, Quatre was going to join them…and then when Trowa came out of Heero's room, he was noting that Quatre was gone."

"So?"

Duo looked to the ground a moment, then sighed. "He's not mentally stable."

"And that gives him excuse to kick you while you're down?" she demanded.

He met her eyes again with a frown. "I just…Nas…"

"You're going to go looking for him anyway," she snapped. "Why try to convince me that it's the right thing to do?"

"I didn't say it was the _right_ thing to do," he grumbled, taking the band-aid from her and leaning toward the mirror. "I'd just have a guilty conscious about it."

"And what if they've found him?" she snapped.

Duo hesitated, then met her eyes in the mirror.

Nassaiya groaned in irritation, rolling her eyes. "I'll go get the phone."

x x x

"Duo?" Trowa demanded in utter disbelief. "Or should I say Dugan?"

Wufei looked to the guy sharply.

"Clever _clever_ man," Duo retorted. "If I didn't know for a fact that Wufei's phone was in pieces I wouldn't even be bothering to _talk_ to you."

"I'm not the one who beat you," Trowa retorted.

Heero flinched slightly, looking away.

"Tell Wufei to put his phone together," Duo ordered dryly.

"What do you mean, put together?"

Wufei blinked, digging into his jacket pocket quickly.

"I mean…tell him to put it together," Duo retorted. "You're slow, aren't you, Trowa?"

"I think I might start beating you," Trowa noted dryly.

Heero slowed slightly, frowning at the guy.

"Take a look at Heero and tell me if it'd be worth it," Duo growled.

"What? You think I wouldn't enjoy it?"

"Until you blacked out you'd probably love every moment of it," Duo agreed lightly. "Where are you?"

"In London."

"Wow, _really_?" Duo asked in feigned shock. "Guess what? So am I! I've been here for two years! How long have you been?"

"You were really here that entire time?" Trowa asked in disbelief.

"I wasn't going to the U.S.," Duo noted dryly. "And I happen to have a couple old friends in the U.K…and it's so easy to get _out_ of London."

"Then why were you here long enough for us to find you?" Trowa asked blankly.

"I have these two _sons_," Duo explained irritably. "That kinda makes moving at random a bit more…traumatizing."

"Sons?" Trowa asked.

"Sons?" Heero repeated.

"Is Wufei's phone together yet?"

Trowa glanced at Wufei, who was holding the phone in one hand and watching the screen. "It was never _not_ together," he noted.

Duo guffawed…and hung up.

"Sons?" Heero persisted, looking to Wufei. "What about sons?"

"He's got two," Wufei explained dismissively.

Heero stopped.

"Oh, yeah," Wufei agreed, focusing on him. "He gets to explain to two little boys why daddy's all beat tomorrow…I imagine they're the reason he finally found his backbone again."

The Japanese man looked to Trowa, not sure how to respond to that.

Wufei's cell started ringing, and he walked off as he answered.

- -

E/N: Thanks for the review, Race...is it bad that Trowa's one of my favorite characters here? lmao...just that wicked kind of "WTF?".


	4. Pretty Winged Things

**Pretty Winged Things**

I blinked tiredly at the lights ahead of me, wishing my wrist would stop aching. I could tell I was near the end of the alley, but I wasn't sure if that was where I needed to be or not.

My eyes followed the progress of a handful of stray cats running away from me, and I watched them curiously, wondering if they'd ever known a home, if their homes had been uprooted…if maybe they'd been pets before the wars.

The dancer giggled cutely at me, brushing my cheek with her scarf as the others circled me similarly. It was such a stereotypical display…like those movies they made about Persia where the ruler was surrounded by beautiful dancing women…lots of scarves and skin.

Actually, I'd seen a few of those shows…they were very entertaining.

Another girl giggled at me, and they turned it that same line and disappeared down a hallway as the men at the table laughed at me…but I wasn't embarrassed this time…just so damn _tired_.

It was cold…like hiding in those mountainous forests in early fall…

"Mr. Winner!"

I turned tiredly toward the voice, stumbling slightly and catching myself against a wall…and crying out in pain as my wrist throbbed.

"Mr. Winner! Please!"

It was time to run again, wasn't it? If they caught me they wouldn't let me sleep.

"We're here to help," the man persisted. "We have…we have Mr. Barton on his way…and Mr. Yuy…please…"

I considered that a long moment.

What were the chances of Heero _and_ Trowa being here? Were they lying? Was this some elaborate farce meant to lure me into a false sense of security?

"Tell me!" I shouted, turning to look at them. "Tell me!"

"Tell him what?" the second asked darkly. This was the same one who'd made the comment about white boys before.

"It's a code," the speaker muttered dubiously, running his hand down his face. "I don't know…I don't know what I'm supposed to say, Mr. Winner…if you can wait while I call…"

I turned and started moving again, looking for my escape.

"No! They told me to call them! Mr. Barton insisted I called!" he protested, moving closer to me. "Please, Mr. Winner…they're worried about you."

"Mr. Scott said…he told me to tell you that it's awfully wet," the other man noted.

"Who?" I asked blankly, noting an offshoot alleyway.

"Mr…Mr. Maxwell!" he exclaimed quickly. "Mr. Maxwell said!"

Duo?

It was a lie.

I stared backing away faster.

I didn't know how they'd gotten Duo's safe-code, but Duo was gone. Duo'd run away from us…these men weren't safe.

"Mr. Winner?"

They might have caught Duo…maybe they were torturing him…maybe they were coercing the codes from him in some way.

I turned, and started to run.

"Mr. Winner!" the first shouted.

x x x

"Oh _great_," Trowa muttered irritably, moving back to the now silent group. Duo'd joined them, and Heero was doing anything but meeting eyes.

"What?" Duo asked darkly.

"They told him _your_ code and he ran," Trowa snapped at him. "He was over by Chandler…I told them to _call_ me," he added in irritation.

"I told them only to say it if he asked about me specifically," Duo retorted.

"Duo," Wufei sighed. "Quatre knew we were coming looking for you, but he disappeared before Heero found you. He…he could ask about you _easily_."

"Hey, I was just trying to help," Duo snapped at him.

"Don't get angry with me," Wufei soothed quickly. "I'm not saying it's your fault."

"But it's mine?" Heero snapped. "You rip me and Trowa's heads off, but shush, Duo, don't be mad?"

Wufei gave him a very level look.

"What are you all on about this self pity shit?" Duo snapped irritably.

Heero glowered at him. "I never expected a _thing_ from you."

"But god forbid I cross you," Duo retorted.

"Disciplinary actions…"

"My _ass_!" Duo shouted back, angered again. "I don't have to _answer_ to you…or to any_one_!"

"You can't just…"

"Just what? You kept me locked up in the rooms all day and…"

"You didn't have to _do_ anything!"

The pair stared at each other as Duo really started to comprehend the extreme lack of understanding Heero actually had about interactions with other human beings.

"The point _is_," Trowa cut them off before either could say more, "that Quatre heard Duo's pass-code and ran instead of letting them help." He looked between them. "They lost him at that point and can't say one way or the other if he went to the roofs or if he kept on the streets."

"We need to split up," Wufei noted, looking between them. "We need to get a taxi or something to that vicinity and split up. If he sees one of us, he'll listen to us. Duo, stay with me…you two stay together," he met Trowa's eyes. "Or can I _trust_ you with that?"

Trowa gave him a disgusted look, then indicated for Heero to start in a certain direction, hesitating to follow. "Screw you, Wufei," he muttered quietly…too quietly for Heero to hear. "When we get Quatre…don't come back to Brazil. Just get your things and be on your marry little way, stay with _Duo_, for all I care…I'll ship your shit." He cast Duo a dark glare before turning and walking off.

"Is it just me or is he not realizing something?" Wufei muttered, looking back to Duo.

"What?" Duo asked blankly.

"You said they had you in psycho-therapy until Nas was pregnant with Cam, right?"

Duo nodded, moving to signal another taxi as Trowa and Heero took off in one of their own.

"So Trowa doesn't realize that we'll all be put under evaluation."

"I still don't understand why they weren't watching us," Duo agreed darkly, sliding into the machine.

"Because Heero was scared you'd run, so he drugged you and we all followed him to the Amazon," Wufei returned. "We need to get to Chandler Avenue," he added to the cabbie.

The man nodded and they started off.

"But…they should have had someone on us."

"Heero only told them it was a base in South America," Wufei countered. "He said we'd set up our own little outpost to help the populace, and for some reason no one wanted to journey to our backwaters, so they did some shit over the vids for a while, but you were always conveniently ill when it came up."

Duo blinked at him in a sort of sick amazement.

"If I ever spoke up against Heero they'd all back me down," Wufei noted, looking away. "If I ever tried to get real authority out there, they'd dismiss it as unnecessary and wasting funding. It didn't take too long for the higher-ups to dismiss us as too expensive."

Duo looked out the far window, shaking his head.

"They'll take Heero in for a retraining," Wufei reassured him. "Trowa will get a thorough evaluation and Quatre will get on medication…it'll be fine. I can hang out here somewhere with you, right?"

Duo nodded.

Wufei sighed in some relief at that. He'd been somewhat worried the request would be denied.

None of it _really_ mattered, though, until they _found_ Quatre.

x x x

I blinked at the flicker of light above me to the right, scared for a minute that it might be a tracer beam…it wouldn't be the first time I'd had one pointed at my head, but when I studied the area seriously it was nothing.

Why were they _gone_?

I rubbed at my neck with my good hand, studying the swollen bit of my left wrist.

One of'em was going to lecture me…Wufei or Trowa…about not calling…but my phone was in my jacket. This jacket wasn't mine, and had nothing in the pockets. Besides that, I couldn't keep focused long enough…

Something was wrong.

I slid down a wall, taking a few heaving breaths. I felt like I'd been running…it was all a dream, right? Stupid inane things kept getting mixed up with reality, and I couldn't track a thought from front to end without getting distracted in the middle of it.

Maybe I needed to sleep…I was _so_ tired.

I sighed heavily, leaning my head forward against my knees. It would have possibly been comfortable if my pants weren't soaked…but the majority of the storm had passed. The lightning wasn't coming nearly so often, and the thunder took longer to roll.

So where was I?

London, sure…but I was supposed to be looking for…Hines? Minuet? Addler? The man had given me directions but fuck if I could remember them.

I looked toward the end of the alley a long moment, wondering if maybe…maybe they'd found Duo. It'd been…a long time…all day.

I'd been running around since ten, and I hadn't slept…or eaten.

That could explain the slight dizziness and dry lips.

I rubbed at my lips a moment, then looked up to the lack of rain in mild consternation. I could have had _some_ water…like the floods.

I shuddered slightly as thoughts and ideas washed through my mind connected to the floods, mainly the yearly flooding of our home base and the fears that Duo had been drug out to sea. I knew that wasn't very likely, but my thoughts didn't stay clear long anymore. It was _hard_ to keep on track. …Like the race cars drove on.

I leaned forward, pressing my face into my legs as I tried to…directions…he'd said…he'd said…

What had he said?

Wet denim was cold…

I swallowed, shivering very slightly and pulling my throbbing wrist into the semi-warmth.

Maybe they'd feed me…or maybe they'd make me more wet…maybe they'd kill me.

Maybe it didn't really matter what they did…or maybe I'd get lucky.


	5. Sacraficial Demons

**Sacrificial Demons**

"He's going to be _freezing_," Duo muttered as he and Wufei turned into an alley end.

"He picked up a jacket somewhere," Wufei reminded the other.

"But still," Duo muttered. "Unless it's military issue, it's gonna get soaked through eventually. It was fine when he first left, but it's been raining for four or five hours now."

"Yeah," Wufei muttered, clicking on a flashlight and swinging it around the edges of the alley…before the light fell on a disheveled blond with a tear-streaked face, squinting up the beam.

"Quatre!"

x x x

I flinched at the bright flashlight, staring around it at what I could see of…

"Quatre!"

"Wufei!" I muttered, moving to get up and hesitating as my balance took another dive.

"Easy," Duo muttered…

Duo?

I stared at him as he came to my side, helping me to stand. His expression wasn't exactly happy, and he wasn't meeting my eyes…

"You piss Heero off again?" I asked blankly, studying the bruises and the band-aid.

He met my eyes, his own narrowing.

"They got into a fight," Wufei muttered, moving closer to grab my arm—which I pulled promptly away from him. He frowned grabbing my hand as I hissed, pulling it forward to push back the sleeve.

I whimpered at him, though I didn't move…it hurt…it…

"We found him."

I looked to Duo again.

"His wrist is fucked up," he added before meeting my eyes. "He looks…a bit worn. We're off of Minuet."

I looked to the road at the end of the alley and stared at it in disbelief.

Not that I could remember much more of the directions.

"Ow!" I gasped in pained shock as Wufei rotated my wrist, trying to yank away from him as my entire arm seemed to burn.

"No…not broken," Wufei returned quietly, following the bones up my arm. "You did something to it, but it's not broken."

"That hurt," I muttered, pulling my wrist back protectively to my chest, realizing I had tears in my eyes.

"I had to see how bad it was messed up," he reassured me quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

I noted Duo was running a hand through his hair, then looked to Wufei. "I'm gonna head home."

"Duo!" I protested, stepping for him.

He stepped back, giving me a very wary look.

"Duo?"

He met my eyes and looked away as he shook his head. "I'm going home."

"With us?" I asked.

"No, Quatre," he said quietly, meeting my eyes. "I don't feel safe with you. I'm going home to my wife and my kids."

"Wife?" I asked blankly. "Kids?"

"I left Brazil with a widow from the village I was in," he returned. "She had a little boy, and I've adopted him…and we have a son."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"I have work in the morning, and I need to take my boy to a check-up…and all sorts of shit. I need to crash."

"You're leaving?" I asked, feeling the tears again, breaking away from Wufei to grab him…and just started to cry. For some reason, he'd flinched away from me, but he did relent finally and hug me.

"Quatre," Wufei said quietly, grabbing my arm.

"You're leaving again?" I demanded, meeting Duo's eyes. "How can you leave me again?"

"I'm not leaving _you_," Duo noted. "Besides, I've already left. The only reason you're even seeing me now is because Wufei got caught on camera with Hilde."

What?

I blinked at him.

"If you promise me that you won't do shit to me," Duo added seriously, "then I'll visit with you more often."

"Promise you?"

He nodded, pushing me away. "You used to burn me…or hit me…laugh at me, you remember?"

I thought back, catching vague images that didn't quite make sense.

He sighed, standing me up straight. "You be nice, and I'll come see you, okay?"

I frowned slightly, noting something in his voice that had more meaning than the words themselves. I nodded slightly.

"Promise?" he persisted.

"Promise," I muttered back.

"I'm gonna go," he added to Wufei. "Seeing Heero makes me sick to my stomach."

I stared in disbelief.

"All right," Wufei muttered quietly. "Take care…I'll let you know what's going on, huh?"

"Yeah," Duo agreed, then patted my shoulder with a smile…and turned to walk away.

"Where are _you_ going?" Heero demanded in anger, moving up around behind me and starting for Duo.

Duo spat at his feet…and walked away.

Heero stared in disbelief.

"Just let it go," Wufei suggested quietly to the Japanese man.

"Hello," we heard Duo's voice floating from around the corner. "They found Mr. Winner in the little alley off Minuet…yeah. Yes. They're all there…Dugan Scott…yeah, Maxwell…" he laughed slightly as we heard a car stop. "I'm heading home," he noted. "My address is on file."

The car door closed, and after a second a taxi passed the end.

"We have to run," I gasped, looking to Wufei. "We have to…"

"No," Wufei muttered, grabbing Heero's wrist. "You need help for your arm."

"Wufei," Trowa started in a dead-wary voice…

"No," Wufei repeated, looking between the three of us. "We wait here, and we do this right."

"You can't make me," Trowa noted.

"But I can make them," Wufei returned, meeting Trowa's eyes.

I looked between the pair of them, then back to Heero. Heero was looking away down the alley…and he looked like he'd been in a fight.

"Are you all right?" I demanded, moving to look at him closer.

"I'm fine, Quatre," he returned, not meeting my eyes. "I'm…fine."

x x x

"In a startling discovery this afternoon, channel seven news was informed by the chief of police that last night, the former Gundam pilots…"

Nassaiya looked away from the screen, which Duo was watching, and focused on Vasu, who was looking at the screen himself. "You want pudding or cookies?"

"Pudding," Vasu muttered, meeting her eyes a moment, but the way his father was watching the screen suggested something serious. He moved across their apartment to sit with his father on the couch, studying the bruises and cuts a moment.

"Hey, champ," Duo muttered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Your day?"

"Normal. Yours?"

"I hit work, got off early to take brother to get some shots, came home and almost got mobbed by paparazzi."

"Normal," Vasu noted.

Duo grinned down at him and the boy smiled back.

"Duo, turn that off," Nassaiya muttered irritably.

"…with a form of schizophrenia called 'disorganized'," the reporter was muttering as the screen showed a shot of Quatre being unloaded from an ambulance. A guard was escorting Trowa and Heero toward the same building. "And last night suffered from a series of hallucinations and delusions which at times made him think he was still in the war. This form of post-traumatic-stress has been found common in the younger soldiers of the wars, and adding in the schizophrenia, Mr. Winner was not mentally able to…"

"Duo," Nassaiya persisted. "Your son is watching that."

Vasu looked to his mother with a frown.

"Just a minute," Duo snapped back. "Shit, Nas."

"Dad," Vasu protested, not liking that his father had _said_ that.

Duo gave him a brief look and focused on the screen again.

"…as we speak three of the five pilots are undergoing psychiatric evaluations. This leaves some to wonder…what about the fifth pilot? What about Duo Maxwell?"

The screen showed a shot of Duo with Camden in his arms, the child's head was covered by Duo's jacket.

"Duo Maxwell was going by the alias Dugan Scott after having taken sanctuary from his United States government two years ago."

Vasu was staring at the screen in disbelief.

"He underwent psychiatric counseling and was found to be stable, and though we couldn't say before, he works for Miss Splieker herself as a member of her privy council…and is married to a woman we've yet to get a shot of, and that is their youngest son Mr. Maxwell is holding."

"You just love gossip, don't you?" the male reporter teased.

It focused back on the pair as they started talking.

"Dad?" Vasu asked quietly.

"Yeah, son?"

"You're a Gundam pilot?" he looked to the man sincerely.

"I was," Duo agreed.

"And we left the jungle because those men were trying to catch you?"

Duo nodded again.

"But…they know you're here now, right?"

"I fought with him," Duo noted as the screen showed a close-up of Heero's face and noted that he and Duo'd gotten _into_ their fight.

"You kicked his butt, huh?" Vasu asked with some pride.

"No son," Duo returned, watching the screen. "I was scared."

Vasu looked up at him.

Duo met his eyes. "I only did that because I was scared."

"But you fought in the wars," Vasu protested, thinking about what he'd been taught in school.

"In a big metal thing that was all but indestructible," Duo retorted. "Things have changed, and fighting is wrong. Your mother made me sleep on the couch last night."

Vasu looked to his mother in surprise.

She gave him a tight smile, turning back to the sink.

"Come on," Duo added, glancing to his watch. "We need to wake Cam up. I want to go out for pizza tonight."

Vasu grinned impishly at that.

Nassaiya sighed in exasperation. "What _is_ your fascination with _pizza?_"

"I could tell you, but there are innocent ears about," Duo noted with a grin as he rose.

Nassaiya sighed in exasperation again, looking to the ceiling.

Duo almost giggled, bouncing over to kiss her…before turning with Vasu and heading toward the bedrooms.

"…the four pilots will be held for further evaluation and counseling," the male reporter muttered. "The genetic history of the Winner family does show schizophrenia in the line, but the other three pilots are assumed to be suffering under PTSD. We can hope for the sake of our heroes, who did save the world, that things will be worked out…and maybe they, too, can have a happily ever after."

Nassaiya crossed the room…and turned off the television.

**_End_**

- -

E/N: And there we go...I hadn't realized it was quite _that_ close to being done, but it all works, huh? I don't know if I'll do anymore in this arc or not. I hope you all enjoyed this story. Thanks for the reviews, Race...and the retraining thing was meant to sound sinister, hehehe...and yeah, I's gots ta be a'goin' now, 'cause my family be givin' me a birthday party, dontyaknow... I can't properly bounce away at this moment, but he're hopin! (:


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